Starting device.



' J. H. GARDNER.

STARTING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED DEC. 20, 1912.

1,1 24,007.. Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS THE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOWLITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. (.2

J. H. GARDNER.

STARTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 20. 1912.

1 1%,0'2', Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOHN 1-1. G/IPDNEP zwwnfi 7ai a; I By ATTORNEYS J. H. GARDNER.

STARTING DEVICE.

APPLIUATION FILED DEC. 20, 1912.

1,124,007. Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

3 SEEETS-SHEET 3.

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT JOHN HILLARY GARDNER, OF DALTON, GEORGIA.

STAR-TING DEVICE.

Application filed December 20, 1912.

T0 all 11:71am it may concern Be it known that I, J OHN H. GARDNER, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Dalton, in the county ofWhitfield and State of Georgia, have invented a new and ImprovedStarting Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvement in starting devices for internalcombustion engines, and the object thereof is to produce a device ofthis sort so constructed that not only will the starting shaft and theparts operated thereby to turn the crank shaft of the engine beautomatically disengaged from the power shaft in case of backfire, butalso the engagement of the starting shaft with the crank shaft will beentirely prevented until the starting crank is making its up stroke, andmaintained as long thereafter as is necessary. As a result, theattendants first pull to start the engine will be an upward pull; safetywill be insured and all risks of accident eliminated.

Reference is to be had to the accompany-- ing drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which the same characters of reference indicatethe same parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of my startingdevice; Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 2-2of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts in differentoperative position; Fig. i is a sectional View on the line d1 of Fig. 1;Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in engagement withone another to start the engine; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4:,showing the manner in which the starter is disengaged in case ofbackfire; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the parts operated by thestarting shaft to engage and turn the power shaft to set the engine inmotion; Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a modification; and Fig.9 is a transverse sectional view on the line 99 of Fig. 8.

My invention can be applied to the power shaft 1 of a motor of almostany type. Such a motor may have a fly-wheel 2, and to start the same Iemploy a starting shaft 3 having a crank at, the shaft 3 being mountedin a bearing 5. The adjacent end of the power shaft 1 has a ratchetwheel 6, and on the starting shaft 3 I mount a disk 7 carryingSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 5, 1915.

Serial No. 737,846.

a pawl 8 secured to one end of a spindle 9 rotatably mounted in a borethrough the disk 7, and having at one end a movable dog 10 mounted upona spindle 11 carried by the pawl 8. The pawl 8 also carries a spring 12,and it also has a shoulder which engages the end of a spring 13 coiledaround the outer end of the spindle l1 and secured at its opposite endto the movable projecteeth 14-, which are inclined in one direc- 1 tion,but in case the power shaft starts in the opposite direction the teethwill force the dog 10 to move the pawl out of engagement with theratchet 6. When the pawl 8 v engages the ratchet 6 the dog 10 is by itsaction brought into engagement with the teeth 1-1, and it slips overthese teeth as long as the direction of rotation is right, the spring 12holding it in such position against the tension of the spring 13, thedog simply being balanced between these two springs. In case ofbackfire, however, the dog 10 is raised off the spring 12, and thespring 13 brings the dog back to normal position against this spring assoon as it is released from the teeth 14.

The disk 7 has a hub 16 on which is loosely mounted a flanged sleeve 17.This flanged sleeve has a segmental projection 18, and the spindle 9 ofthe pawl 8 projects through the disk 7 into proximity to this projectionand carries on its opposite end an operating arm 19 having a notched end20. which engages the notched end 20, so that, as the flanged collar 17is moved, the pawl 8 will be operated thereby.

Secured within the cup-shaped member forming the circular rack 15 is aleaf spring 22 made fast at one end and having its opposite end madethick to provide a shoulder, and having a stud 23 projecting from saidend through an aperture 24: in the member 15. This spring 22 isregulated by means of This flanged collar 17 has a pin 21 V 40 positionshown in Fig. 2 to the position shaft on the up stroke of the crank 3.

a screw 25 carried by the plate 15, so that the pressure of this springon the projection can be adjusted. The stud 23 serves to guide thespring in its movements.

The disk '7 and the flanged collar 1'7 are spring connected to eachother by means of pins 26 and 27 united by a coiled spring 28. Thisspring enables the disk 7 and collar to rotate together when the shaft 3is turned, but permits the flanged collar 17 to be re tarded to someextent by the shoulder on the end of the spring 22.

In operation, the parts will be arranged in the position shown in Fig.1, the pawl 8 being in the plane of the ratchet 6. Normally, the spring28 holds the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet, the outwardmovement of this pawl being limited by means of a stop 29 on the disk 7.The parts will be so designed and located relatively to one another thatwhen the crank 4 is in its lowermost position the spring connecting theflanged collar 17 to the disk 7 will hold the collar so that theprojection 18 will normally be in substantially its uppermost position,as shown in Fig. 2. In this position it will be engaged by the shoulderat the end of the spring 22. Suppose, now, the operator in order tostart the engine, turns the crank 4 clockwise, so that the disk 7 willmove in such a way as to tend to drag the collar 17 after it in acounterclockwise direction with reference to Figs. 2 and 3. As soon asthe projection 18 strikes the shoulder on the end of the spring 22 itwill stop for the time being, but the disk 7 continuing its rotationwill carry the spindle 9 with it, and owing to the engagement betweenthe arm 19 and the projection 21 on the flanged sleeve 17, this arm willbe moved from the shown in Fig. 3, tilting the pawl 8 and causing it tomove in position to engage the teeth on the ratchet 6. This will enablethe starting shaft to begin turning the powser r s soon as the pawl 8engages the ratchet a further backward movement of the sleeve 17 isprevented, and the disk 7 and sleeve 17 now rotate together. Theoperator can now exert a continuous turning force on the starting shaft3 and power shaft 1, because the friction between the end of the pawl 8and teeth on the ratchet 6 maintains the pawl in engagement with theratchet wheel. As soon as the power shaft starts to turn of itself itwill carry the ratchet 6 away from the end of the pawl 8, and the spring28 will then become effective to throw the pawl away from the ratchetand move the arm 19 from the position shown in Fig. 3 back to theposition shown in Fig. 2. The spring 22 does not prevent the rotation ofthe sleeve 17 with the disk, but only retards this sleeve when itengages the projection 18, to a sufficient extent to allow the pawl andthe ratchet to come together. The engagement of the pawl and ratchet isthus efiected when the crank is at the lowermost point of its movement.The first pull of the attendant to start the engine is an upward pull,and the engagement is maintained so that when the crank is turneddownward after its upward pull, the turning effort can be continued. Asmany revolutions of the crank 4 as may be necessary to start the enginecan thus be obtained, and the force of the crank will be transmitted tothe power shaft continuously through every revolution until the powershaft starts running.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be seen that as long as therotation of the parts is in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 5,the dog 10 will slip past the teeth 14.

In case the engine reverses and begins to rotate the shaft 1 in thedirection shown by the arrow in Fig. 6, the teeth 14 will engage the dog10 and move the pawl 8 away from the ratchet 6, thus disengaging thestarter and obviating any risk of injury to the attendant.

In the form shown in Fig. 8 the standard 30 has a recess 31 in which isinserted a ring 32 having teeth 14. This recess is spanned by a support33 which supports a bearing 34 receiving one end of the starting shaft3. This shaft is provided with a spring 35 which abuts against the crank4 and the bearing 34 and holds the crank spaced from the support 30 acertain distance. The starting shaft 3 carries on the other side of thebearing 34 a sleeve 36 which is loosely mounted thereon, and both thissleeve and the shaft 3 are received in a bearing in the support 30. Thesleeve carries at its outer end a clutch 38 which engages a similarclutch mounted upon the power shaft of the engine, and the sleeve alsohas secured rigidly thereon at its opposite end near the bearing 34 aratchet wheel 37. Between this end of the sleeve 36 and the bearing 34the starting shaft 3 has rigidly mounted thereon a disk 38 to which issecured by means of a screw bolt a pawl 39, the screw bolt beingindicated by the number 40. This disk also carries a spring 41 whichengages the pawl 39 in such a way as to force it into engagement withthe ratchet 37, and this pawl carries a dog 42 on a spindle 43, and isprovided with springs 44 and 45 which correspond respectively to thesprings 13 and 12 in the first form. To operate this form of starter thecrank is grasped by hand and the starting shaft 3 pushed to the leftwith reference to Fig. 1, against the tension of the spring 35. Normallythis spring will hold the crank and starting shaft, together with thesleeve 36 and ratchet 37, in such position that the pawl 39 will be outof the plane of the ring 32. For this purpose the 'inner end of theshaft may be provided with a circumferential groove, and the sleeve 36may be provided with a projection or screw passing through it into thegroove so that the sleeve 36 and shaft 3 will move axially together,while the sleeve 36 can turn with respect to the shaft. The movement ofthe shaft 3 to the left will thus force the pawl 39 into the plane ofthe ring, and will force the sleeve 36 so as to move the clutch 38 intoengagement with the clutch on the power shaft. The turning of the crank4 will now start the engine; In this form the engagement of the startingshaft with the power shaft can be effected at once without regard to theposition of the crank, and the first pull can be an upward pull or adownward pull, or a pull in any other direction. In case of backfire theteeth 1 f will act upon the dog 42 so as to throw the pawl 39 out ofengagement with the rack 37, and thus prevent injury.

From the above description it will be seen that I have devised a veryuseful and efiicient starter by means of which any likelihood of injuryis entirely eliminated, and by which, further, the starter isautomatically disengaged in case the engine reverses, thus preventingany possible breakage of the mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In an improvement of the kind described, the combination of a powershaft, a starting shaft, a crank for operating the starting shaft, aratchet carried by the power shaft, a pawl carried by and movable withthe starting shaft to engage the ratchet, means for normally holding thepawl out of engagement with the ratchet, means for causing the pawl tomove into engagement with the ratchet only on the upward movement of thecrank, and means for disengaging the pawl from the ratchet in case thepower shaft starts rotating in the wrong direction.

2. In an improvement of the kind described, a power shaft having aratchet thereon, a starting shaft, a member secured to the startingshaft, a pawl carried by the member for engaging the ratchet, a looselymounted member having a spring connec tion with the first member, andmeans for operating the pawl from the second member.

3. In an improvement of the kind described, the combination of a powershaft having a ratchet thereon, a starting shaft having a disk providedwith a hub secured thereon, a pawl secured to said disk in position toengage the ratchet, the pawl being normally out of engagement with theratchet, an arm for operating said pawl into engagement with theratchet, a flanged sleeve mounted upon the hub of the disk andspring-connected to said disk, said sleeve having a projection engagingsaid arm, and a resilient stop to engage the sleeve and retard the samewhen the starting shaft is rotated, said sleeve then operating the armto move the pawl into engagement with the ratchet.

4. In an improvement of the kind described, the combination of a powershaft having a ratchet thereon, a starting shaft carrying a crank andhaving a disk provided with a hub secured thereto, a pawl to engage theratchet mounted upon a rotatable spindle extending through the disk, thepawl being normally out of engagement with the ratchet, an arm mountedupon the opposite end of the spindle, a flanged sleeve mounted upon thehub of the disk having a projection engaging the arm, a springconnecting the disk and the sleeve together, a fixed support for thestarting shaft, said flanged sleeve having a projection, and a springcarried by the fixed support and having a shoulder at one end to engagethe projection to retard the sleeve when the crank is on its up strokeand operate the arm to move the pawl into engagement with the ratchet.

5. In an improvement of the kind described, a power shaft having aratchet thereon, a starting shaft, a member secured to the startingshaft, a fixed annular rack, a pawl pivoted to the said member andadapted to engage the ratchet, a pivoted and spring pressed dog on thepawl and adapted to engage the circular rack, a member mounted to turnon the first member and having a spring connection therewith, and meansfor operating the pawl from the said second member to move it into andout of operative position.

6. In an improvement of the kind described, a power shaft having aratchet thereon, a starting shaft, a member secured to the startingshaft, a fixed annular rack, a pawl pivoted to the said member andadapted to engage the ratchet, a pivoted and spring pressed dog on thepawl and adapted to engage the annular rack, a mem-- ber mounted to turnon the first member and provided with a projection, a spring secured tosaid members, and a forked member secured on the pivot of said pawl andengaging the projection of the said second member.

7. In an improvement of the kind dedisk and; plz'ovidedv With avprojection, a name to this specification in the presence of forkedfmember secured-to the pivot of the two s-ubscnibing'witnesses.

SIQQVBQ and: means for retarding the move- 5 ment of the sleeve topermit the pawl and. Witnesses:

ratchet to be properly engaged. 1 JAMES A.. FOSTER,

In testimony whereof I have signed my HARDEE HILL.

Copies 01 this: patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

, Washington, D. 0."

